Jodi Rell obit

M. Jodi Rell, a governor whose bipartisan spirit helped CT politics emerge from scandals, dies at 78

She was not on the list. 

Former Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell, who came to power amid a scandal but forged her own path with a bipartisan approach, has died.

Her family announced she died Wednesday following a brief illness at a Florida hospital.

Rell was 78 years old. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

The second female governor in Connecticut history, Rell served as lieutenant governor for 10 years and as a member of the state House of Representatives.

'Connecticut is resilient'

Rell served as lieutenant governor under Gov. John Rowland, but became governor in July 2004, following his abrupt resignation amid a corruption investigation. That investigation would land him in federal prison.

"It has been a time of profound disappointment and disillusionment," Rell said during her swearing-in speech in 2004.

"Yet while the people's trust in government has been weakened, I know that Connecticut is resilient," she said. "Ours is a strength that is centuries old, but ever new."

In 2006, Rell was elected in a landslide victory. She was sworn in the following year as Connecticut's 87th governor and was the state's first female Republican governor.

Rell reflected on her legacy in 2013 when her official portrait was unveiled at the state Capitol.

"I was honored to serve," Rell said. "I sought to do things because I wanted to do them right and for the right reasons. I sought to lead with kindness, with dignity, with grace and with compassion."

But speaking with Connecticut Public in 2023, Rell said the partisanship of modern politics would have dissuaded her from running for office today.

"It's become ugly. And I'm sad to say that," Rell said. "No, I wouldn't do it. But at the same time, how many people are going to say no to public service because things have turned so ugly? And I think we need to change that."

Rell was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and attended Old Dominion University and Western Connecticut State University. She lived in Brookfield for many years.

Tributes pour in

Gov. Ned Lamont, who ordered flags to half staff, said Rell became governor "almost reluctantly and at a time of great turmoil."

"She used her newly acquired authority to bring stability to state government in a way that was very much needed at the time, focusing on strengthening state ethics laws and rebuilding the trust of the residents of our state," Lamont said in a statement. "The Jodi Rell that the people of Connecticut saw in public was the Jodi Rell that she was in real life — calm, rational, caring, approachable, and devoted to her family and to her state."

The Connecticut Senate Republican Caucus said that Rell "loved Connecticut."

“She loved public service, and she served our state with dignity and grace," the statement reads. "As our 87th governor, she had an incredible connection with Connecticut residents that helped her lead us through some very difficult days. She was the genuine article. She emphasized transparency in government. She was a leader and a role model for all our citizens."

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, a Democrat who served alongside Rell in the state legislature from 1987 to 1994, called her approach to public office "principled" and "civil."

"During her time as governor, she succeeded by using the same approach to deal with difficult issues on a bipartisan basis, which explained her immense popularity both before and after her time as governor," Courtney said in a statement. "That civility, comity, and adherence to her oath of office are in many ways her enduring legacy which is greatly needed at a time of great division in our country."

Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat who formerly served in the state legislature, also recalled the uncertainty Rell inherited from her predecessor and Rell's leadership.

"She was a model of grace and stability," Tong said in a statement. "The governor was incredibly kind and gracious to me whenever I had the chance to engage with her. Her brand of thoughtful politics and leadership is sorely missed, and my hope is that elected leaders here and across the country will do better to follow her lead and example."